While the GUI method is easier to follow and sets the PATH variable permanently, it involves several steps. Alternatively, hit the Edit text, add a semi-colon to the end of the field for Variable value, and paste the program’s path. If you’re on Windows 10, hit the New button and paste the copied path on the new line. On Windows 7 and Windows 8, add a semi-colon at the end of the line, and without leaving a space, paste the program’s path you just copied into the Path field. In the Environment Variables window, click on the Path variable name from either section and hit the Edit button. To do this, first, open the Windows Run prompt by hitting the Windows + R key shortcut. Using the graphical interface is the easiest way to set the PATH variable in Windows. The following is a breakdown of these steps to guide you in the process. PATH variables can be specified via both GUI and CLI methods, and the steps involved are mostly the same for all Windows versions. Although this is an optional step, it’s highly recommended that you do so to alleviate the need for using absolute (full) paths while running Python scripts.

A better solution here is to set the PATH variable for those programs or commands in the environment variable so you can access them from anywhere on the file system hierarchy.įor example, with Python installation, unless the installer gives you an option to set the PATH automatically, you have to do it explicitly to use Python within any directory on your system. While both approaches let you execute programs or commands via the CLI (Command Prompt or PowerShell), they aren’t very efficient.

Windows terminal settings path